Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA6400 AC1600 Review

Linksys have several routers available in the public domain. The Linksys EA6400 AC1600 is another router within the Wireless AC range. It follows on from 2012’s EA6500 – as a scaled down hardware router, with extra features and functionality. We’re going to run through the features and outline the good and bad points.

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA6400 AC1600 Front
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Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA6400 AC1600 Features

Beamforming, 802.11ac & QoS are just some of the many features packed into the Linksys EA6400 – as highlighted below:

6 Features of the Linksys EA6400

 

Beamforming Technology
Traditional wireless lacked a certain sophistication – broadcasting wireless in all directions, at all times. With Beamforming, the Linksys EA6400 can focus wireless signal in the direction of your wireless nodes wherever they are in the home. The advantages of beamforming include:

  • Increased data rates at further distances
  • Coverage extended due to focused wireless outputs
  • Better wireless stability
  • Battery consumption saved on network devices

Wireless AC
Take yourself into the next generation of wireless with 802.11ac. Wireless AC is up to 3 times faster than Wireless N helping you to stream your HD movies smoother than ever, transfer files at lightning fast speeds, and play games with less lag and interruption.

The EA6400 provides theoretical speeds of up to 1.6Gbps when combining Wireless AC & N together. The Linksys WUSB6300 AC1200 USB adapter*** can be used to upgrade your devices to take advantage of Wireless AC speeds.

Benefits of Dual Band
Having Dual Band technology incorporated within the EA6400 means that you can use your older wireless network devices along with your newer ones – at the same time. By using 2.4GHz as well as the faster 5GHz, you can balance old and new on your network at the same time. You can even choose which users and devices connect to which band. This is perfect for allocating your Internet browsing and email users on the 2.4GHz band, whilst placing the gamers and video streamers on the ultra-fast 5GHz band – it’s entirely up to you!

USB 3.0 Port
Every router should ship with a USB 3.0 port – but a lot only have USB 2.0, or none at all. Luckily enough, Linksys have wisely included a USB 3.0 port on the EA6400, so you can centrally print and share your files allowing everyone in the home to connect and share at superfast gigabit speeds.

Traffic Priority
QoS (Quality of Service) is a function that facilitates prioritization across your network. You choose what traffic types get priority over others. For example, rather than having a torrent downloader hog all your bandwidth, you can prioritize music, video streaming, and gaming traffic to always have ‘right of way’ ahead of the torrent user.
No more ‘slow network’ because of bandwidth stealers!

Remote Management
Manage and monitor your network from anywhere in the world with security and safety. By logging in remotely, you can make changes to how your network operates, as well as monitoring how your network is performing.

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA6400 AC1600 Ports

Linksys EA6400 – Other Features

 

Gbps Ethernet
There are 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports for your cabled network nodes. Gbps Ethernet is ten times faster than standard Fast Ethernet.

Wireless Guest Network
Do you have visitors? Do they need access to the Internet? Why not give them access to the ‘Guest Network’. By setting up a Guest Network, your visitors can access the Internet whilst keeping your home network safe and secure.

Setup Simplicity
Setup is a cinch. No disc is required – just use a browser to navigate to the EA6400 and use the wizard to get up and running.

Access Control (Parental)
Manage which users access what websites and when with Parental Control. You can make sure your kids go to bed when they should by dictating when wireless access will be available to them. Parental Control is a feature that can be setup or changed remotely.

DLNA Certified
The Linksys EA6400 AC1600 is DLNA certified – giving media streaming connectivity to your consoles, TV & home entertainment systems.

IPv6
The EA6400 is future-proofed with IPv6 built-in and ready to use. If your ISP switches to IPv6, you will be ready as well.

 

EA6400 Technical Specs

 

  • Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
  • 5GHz/2.4GHz
  • WPA2
  • 4 Internal Antennas
  • IPv6
  • 4x Gbps Ethernet LAN
  • 1x Gbps WAN
  • 1x USB 3.0
  • WPS

 

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA6400 Conclusion

 

Good

  • Excellent Interface
  • Stuffed With Excellent Features
  • Very Easy Setup

 

Not so Good

  • There are faster, higher-end AC routers – but for the price, the EA6400 is fast

 

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA6400 AC1600 Front
Netgear NightHawk AC1900 (R7000) sales button

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